Does it seem like people actively look for things to complain about/get offended by now?

Feb 1, 2013 3:41 PM

this morning i dropped off mrs and baby carl669 at the airport. i went inside with her to help get the bag and car seat checked and to help her get organized before going through security. because it was the first time either of us had traveled with the baby, i hung around and watched while she was going through.

while waiting, one of the TSA folks came up and said 'namaste'. so, i said it back and the common thing to do when saying it is to place your hands together and give a little bow. he kind of chuckled and said, 'i can't actually do the hand gesture part or i might get in trouble.' of course, i wanted to know why.

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he told me last year, he learned how to say 'hello' in 26 different languages. it wasn't part of this job or anything; he just thought it would be cool to learn. one of the ways he learned was to say 'namaste' and he also learned the little gesture. so, he did it quite a few times and said most Indians he said it to we're pretty happy about it. so he kept doing it. one day though, he got called into the supervisor's office. it seems somebody (not someone he said namaste to) had complained because, apparently to them, it looked like he was praying.

now, i'm all for freedom of religion and freedom from religion...whatever floats your boat. but really, was someone standing there thinking, "oh science! it looked like he was praying for 500 milliseconds. THIS SHALL NOT STAND!!!!" what sort of petty d-bags are people turning into??

It's because we've become so 'tolerant' of other people that so many people think they have the right to never feel uncomfortable, awkward or even disagreed with. This increased level of tolerance has led to a majority of society forgetting the meaning of the word. If people actually practiced real tolerance instead of hiding from things they don't agree with or make them uncomfortable we would all live in a much less hostile world.

"Get Over It" from the Eagles always plays in my head when I hear or see this kind of stuff.

Forcing someone to be tolarant of everyone else and allowing people to choose to be offended at everything is the name of the game these days - both play off of each other. It's a fact that someone will do something you don't like. It's also a fact that you will do something someone else won't like.

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he told me last year, he learned how to say 'hello' in 26 different languages. it wasn't part of this job or anything; he just thought it would be cool to learn. one of the ways he learned was to say 'namaste' and he also learned the little gesture. so, he did it quite a few times and said most Indians he said it to we're pretty happy about it. so he kept doing it. one day though, he got called into the supervisor's office. it seems somebody (not someone he said namaste to) had complained because, apparently to them, it looked like he was praying.

now, i'm all for freedom of religion and freedom from religion...whatever floats your boat. but really, was someone standing there thinking, "oh science! it looked like he was praying for 500 milliseconds. THIS SHALL NOT STAND!!!!" what sort of petty d-bags are people turning into??

It's because we've become so 'tolerant' of other people that so many people think they have the right to never feel uncomfortable, awkward or even disagreed with. This increased level of tolerance has led to a majority of society forgetting the meaning of the word. If people actually practiced real tolerance instead of hiding from things they don't agree with or make them uncomfortable we would all live in a much less hostile world.

"Get Over It" from the Eagles always plays in my head when I hear or see this kind of stuff.

As I said in the VW ad question, "Some people seem to seek out reasons to be offended."

Also, I think being politically correct has swung the pendulum in the opposite direction. In the past, it was acceptable/the norm to make fun of (read: demean) different ethnic groups, religions, etc.. This is no longer tolerated. And has led to another extreme.

Perhaps it will level out...though I'm doubtful. No matter what you say or do, you will offend some one.

Forcing someone to be tolarant of everyone else and allowing people to choose to be offended at everything is the name of the game these days - both play off of each other. It's a fact that someone will do something you don't like. It's also a fact that you will do something someone else won't like.

The statement of "__ offends me!! You must stop, NOW!" has become very powerful. It is even more powerful in places like Canada and parts of Western Europe where speech which can be deemed offensive, demeaning, racist is now criminalized.

This has been turned into a bludgeon in workplaces, schools, and anyplace public. Is there somebody you don't like at work? Find something they do and claim to the boss that you find it incredible offensive. You may have to stretch a bit, but I bet you can do it. The boss, rather than risk the potential ire of various government bureaucrats will tell your enemy they must stop that behavior (but without disclosing your name). Wait a few weeks, then repeat as necessary until they quit.

People watch TV just to find a naughty word broadcast in the clear so that they can fire off a letter to the FCC, Congress, and the Pope. I don't understand it, some people are only happy when they ruin things for everyone else.

The person who tattled on him at the airport was probably just doing what they were told to do. You know, the whole "if you see something, say something" campaign. They tell you over the airport loudspeakers to report suspicious activity. The person may have found the head nod (prayer) thing to be suspicious. Especially if he was only doing it to people of a certain ethnicity. It may have appeared the TSA agent was "in on something". The person who reported it might have just been offended that he or she also didn’t also get a little head nod. The supervisor probably told him to stop just so ignorant people wouldn't be confused and alarmed by his ethnicity-specific gestures. I don’t see the problem with what the TSA agent was doing; probably just a misunderstanding.

I just think we need to keep religion out of state-ran agencies. (schools and politics) I don’t care if the walmart greeter says Merry Christmas to me, but I don’t really like it if my tax money goes to promote a certain religion. I don’t like it when lawmakers (who are supposed to represent citizens of all faiths) push religious agendas. Since the TSA is a government entity, I can see how some would feel the same way in this situation. I mean, if he was saying “Jesus is lord” (or whatever the Christians say) to every passer-by then that might be cause for concern because my tax money is paying him to promote a certain religion. That didn’t happen here, but that might be where the complaint stemmed from.

@bsmith1: I preemptively upvoted you because I'm certain many folks will come here and do the opposite. "Don't oppress my religion, man!!"

Anyway, I think your scenario was likely the case, which leads back to the OP's question. In matters religious, emotions run high and offense comes easy. There is a great divisiveness being fueled by nuts with loud voices...on all sides.

@carl669: The poor bastard, I can only imagine that job is insanely boring and connecting with the masses and learning about others would be a fun\ awesome experience.

Not a lot of diversity where I am. (OH and don't tell anyone but I am an atheist, one would think that what will happen to me after death would be enough for Christians, but it is not so I keep it quiet)
I tolerate religion, race, sex, age and all the other. To be honest I am prejudiced of people different then me, I assume they know things that are different from what I have learned and perhaps have something to teach me.

[Rant]
If your TSA guy learns other cultures the perhaps he will not fear them. Ignorance is for the racist.

Sexiest people make more work for me. If you do not let a woman help you then I have to. <---REALLY PISSES ME OFF

Hey Christians, the base Muslim religion is not taught to hate you. Hey Muslims, the base Christians are not taught to hate you. Despite the wars and the outspoken.
[/Rant]

In the name of tolerance society has become equally intolerant of all things. That way people can put on an act of righteous indignation if, for example, they catch a person praying or sharing their faith with another person. Thanks to the lie that is "no one should ever be offended," notions of tolerance have become a form of society enforced speech control, without that messy business of trying to make a law. Why bother with a law when everyone under the sun lives with the false notion that they have a right to never-ever be offended in the slightest way possible?

If you are living, breathing human you had better brace yourself for some bad news: Someone, somewhere is doing something you would be offended over.

When reason and logic fall prey to emotional intelligence, you have the recipe for disaster.

I hope you are suitably offended.

Namaste, thanks for sharing, didn't know that one..

Namaste (/ˈnɑːməsteɪ/NAH-məs-tay; Hindi: [nəməsteː] ( listen); Devanagari: नमस्ते; formal: Namaskar/Namaskaram) is a common spoken valediction or salutation originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is a customary greeting when individuals meet, and a valediction upon their parting. A non-contact form of salutation is traditionally preferred in India and Nepal; Namaste is the most common form of such a salutation.

When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest. This gesture, called Añjali Mudrā or Pranamasana,[1] can also be performed wordlessly and carries the same meaning.

Yep. I think the key is that now is permitted, if not encouraged to find times to be upset about something trivial. The funny thing is that the special interest groups typically only jump in for their problems, and don't necessarily get behind other ones. I find that to be the way it is going instead. Offend me,shame on you. Offend them...who cares!!!

@dogbountyhunter1: How ironic that you're too much of one to type it without being obfuscated with dollar signs!
Also, I'm not exactly sure who you're calling names, so you might want to provide some additional details so the correct parties can be offended.

See what I did there ' prejudice of people different then me, I assume they know things that are different from what I have learned and perhaps have something to teach me ' I used the technical definition of prejudice. I pre judge people different then me.

I accept the life lessons from people who are not me to be important to my growth as a human being. (sorry cut it short above I was a few letters over the limit so I cut it short.)

Narcissism abounds these days in our culture. People only seem sensitive to what they deem is important. Religious wingnuts who only believe that people who believe as they do should be given any consideration...Atheist wingnuts who believe that if anyone shows any religiosity around them should be crucified (pun intended) Various sub-group wingnuts that think anyone who is __(fill in the blank) should be made to stop whatever "offensive" speech, behavior, gesturing or whatever it is that so beyond the pale. Narcissism isn't necessarily the quality of "it's all about me" but is much more often a lack of empathy and the lack of ability to put oneself in another's place so that one can see that other folk have the same rights, privileges, freedoms and responsibilities as everyone else

@stryker4526: In a lot of academic circles, science is made into a religion of its own. It's not science's place to make truth claims on something that can be neither proven nor disproven scientifically. And yet it happens every day.

To say that academia has its faults isn't to say that one should be anti-intellectual. It's not the same thing.

@stryker4526: Yes Academia. I say this for several reasons, but my main reason for this is simple. Show me the volumes of research done proving that politcally Correct speech is dangerous to our society, show me the professors and universities that are aligned and have formed campaigns to fight this, show me the critical thinking classes required by universities that mandate you do not use politically correct speech while attending the class or course. IN fact, the language reform movement began on college campuses.

In comparison the number of universities that favor politically correct speech, and promote the same, are numerous. Here is a quick google link for you: http://thefire.org/torch/

Anti Intellectualism - you threw that out there. I am a huge fan of reason, logic, and critical thinking versus emotional decision making. It is the downfall of our civilization.

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